Car-bumper



(No Model.)

.3. A. OOWELL.

GAR BUMPER;

No. 319,796. Patented June 9, 1885.v

mxxx WITNESSES Lilhngnphsr, Wuhington. u c.

such devices.

tries.

ATENT RENSSELAER A. OOWVELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-BUMPER.

"iPHCIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,796, dated June 9, 1885.

Application filed April 14, 1885. (N0 model.)

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RENSSELAER A. Cow- ELL, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Bumpers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in car-bumpers, the object being to provide spring-bumpers, secured to the ends of an equalizing or so-called rock-bar, and the latter secured by a yoke to the front side of the car-sill, to the end that no part of the device extends rearward of the car-sill, and that the apparatus may be applied to almost any freight-car without changing the latter.

A further object is to improve the construction of spring-bumpers, to the end that they may be made simple, durable, and occupy little room-lengthwise of the car.

The advantages of spring-bumpers are well known and recognized by railroad men, and passenger-cars generally are provided with Thousands of freight-cars have the primitive solid bumpers, and such cars are being daily knocked to pieces or greatly damaged forthe want of better bumpers. It is of great importance that a suitable springbumper be provided that may be easily attached to existing freight-cars without materially changing or modifying the cars. I have therefore invented a spring-bumper that may be easily applied to almost any car without any change whatever in the construction of the car.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel isa plan view of my improved bumper, shown in position attached to the car-sill, one of the bumpers being shown in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a front view in elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation in transverse section on the line of m m, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the link-bolt detached from the other parts.

A represents the car-sill, and B the equalizing or so-called rock-bar.

O is a yoke that is secured by the bolt 0 to to the bar B, and is secured to the sill A by the bolt a, the threaded end of the latter screwing into the lower arm of the yoke. No nut is required for this bolt. The upper arm of the yoke is usually set in flush with the top of the sill or with the floor A, and the lower arm inserted in a mortise, a, made in the outer face of the sill. The rear face of the bar Bis crowning, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the bar may rock a limited distance in a horizontal plane, and adjust itself to opposing buffers, for instance, on a curved track.

D are the springsockets, with suitable ears, (I and d, for bolting the sockets to the bar B, as shown, the bolt-heads usually being set in about flush with the rear face of the rock-bar. (See dotted lines, Fig. 1.)

The buffer face or caps E have annular flanges 6, extending rearward, and embrace with an easy fit respectively the parts D.

F is a plate lying next the bar B, and forms a seat for the spring G. This plate or washer is preferably of wrought or malleable metal, so that it can be made quite thin-say an eighth of an inch (more or less) in thickness-as it is desirable to economize room, otherwise an inside flange on the part D would answer the purpose, but being of cast metal would necessarily be much thicker than the wrought plate. The spiral spring G is usually made of round steel, about three-fourths of an inch (more or less) in diameter.

A link-bolt, H, is secured at h to the ca usually being screwed in and riveted. The screw end of the bolt passes through the bar B, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and is secured by the nut h.

The links of the bolt H will allow a rearward movement of the cap E as far as the overlapping parts of the cap and socket will admit, and by means of the links the bolt does not protrude on either side when the cap is pressed rearward, and is consequently always out of the way and not liable to be bent or injured.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my device to freight-cars, but claim it for all classes of cars where itis applicable.

When, for any reason, it is not desirable to use the rock-bar, for instance, to lessen the initial cost or to economize rocmlengthwise of 100 the car, or for other reasons, the sockets D may be bolted directly to the face of the carsill A. (See dotted lines on the right hand in Fig. 1.) p

What I claim is 1. The combination, with a bar centrally pivoted to the front or outer face of a car-sill, of bumpers secured to the outer face near the opposite ends of said bar, substantially as set forth. 1

2. In spring car-bumpers, springsockets secured to a rock-bar, a bumper face or cap substantially cup-shaped engaging the sockets, the one operating endwise within the other and inc-losing a spiral spring, and a link-bolt to secure the parts and limit the recoil of the spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In spring car-bumpers, the combination, with a rock-bar secured by a yoke to the outer face of a car-sill, of springsockets provided with ears or flanges for securing the sockets RENSSELAER A. COWELL.

Witnesses:

CHAS. H. DORER, ALBERT E. LYNCH. 

